Job Summary
Are you an experienced child and adolescent mental health practitioner looking for an exciting opportunity to make a positive difference to the mental health of children and young people aged four to eighteen years of age? Do you have the ability to both deliver high quality interventions, and develop the skills and knowledge of universal child practitioners in child and adolescent mental health?
If so, we are looking for a Primary Mental Health Worker to support the delivery of Gatesheads innovative and creative targeted Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Service (Getting Help).
This multi-disciplinary team delivers evidence based interventions for children, young people and their families who present with a wide range of mental health difficulties.
Main duties of the job
The main purpose of the role is to work as a member of the Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Service in Gateshead, providing Getting Help Mental Health interventions to Children and Young People.
This includes the direct provision of evidence based, outcome focused standards of care to children, young people and families and the delivery of high quality training, consultation and support to other Childrens Service Providers.
You must have:
- Core Professional qualification and registration (i.e. Nursing, Social Worker, B.Ed/ PGCE (with Qualified Teacher Status), O.T.) or Appropriate professional qualification and registration/accreditation(if newly qualified, this must be achieved within 6 months of being in post) in therapeutic training such as CBT, IPT-A, EMDR, Counselling for Depression, etc.
- Additional qualification in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, therapeutic training or other relevant area, or significant experience of working to support the mental health needs of children, young people and families.
- Experience of working within a community context.
- Ability to complete comprehensive mental health assessments and plan, implement and evaluate specialist packages of care for children, young people and their families.
- Knowledge and experience of safeguarding and the promotion of welfare in children.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of working to support the mental health needs of children, young people and families.
- Experience of working within a community context.
- Proven record in the planning, delivery and evaluation of training with own specialism.
- Experience of working collaboratively within a multi-agency context.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
- Experience in supervising professional colleagues from non-specialist backgrounds.
- Experience of working in the area of research or audit.
- Experience of working within Primary Care Settings.
Skills / Attributes / Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to complete comprehensive mental health assessments and plan, implement and evaluate specialist packages of care for children, young people and their families.
- Skilled in the delivery of relevant therapeutic interventions including individual, family and group work.
- Ability to be a role model in terms of values, attitudes and behaviours, in line with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust organisational framework.
- Ability to engage vulnerable and hard to reach groups.
- Knowledge and experience of safeguarding and the promotion of welfare in children.
- Ability to work at the complex interface between universal and specialist childrens service provision.
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Excellent time and caseload management.
Desirable
- Skilled in the delivery of clinical and caseload supervision.
- Proven ability to design and deliver training to a broad range of professionals.
- Ability to offer consultation and advice to a broad range of professionals.
- and work cooperatively to deliver joint interventions with a range of providers.
Qualifications
Essential
- Core Professional qualification and registration (i.e. Nursing, Social Worker, B.Ed/ PGCE (with Qualified Teacher Status), O.T.) or Appropriate professional qualification and registration/accreditation(if newly qualified, this must be achieved within 6 months of being in post) in therapeutic training such as CBT, IPT-A, EMDR, Counselling for Depression, etc.
- Additional qualification in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, therapeutic training or other relevant area, or significant experience of working to support the mental health needs of children, young people and families.
Desirable
- Accreditation with relevant therapeutic body.
Physical Requirements
Essential
- Good IT skills.
- Car driver.
Desirable
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Closing Date: 26 February 2026
